


Travelling Tense

by flinchflower



Series: Slash Me Twice [73]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Impala Fic, M/M, Mistress Tess - Freeform, Tessera, Wincest - Freeform, travelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-17
Updated: 2013-10-17
Packaged: 2017-12-29 15:44:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1007176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flinchflower/pseuds/flinchflower
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt 73: Strip.  Travelling to Iowa, the mechanical issues with The Impala intensify.  Oh, boys!  Oh, Impala!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Travelling Tense

**Author's Note:**

> Copyright notice: I hold the copyright for Mistress Tess & Tessera, original characters, and multiple storylines associated with her. Someday (hopefully sooner than later) you'll see her in a series of novels, I ask that at this time others refrain from use of the character without express permission. She is allowed to play in fanfic, I just request that I know about it. Frankly, I hesitate to post any of the fics with her in them, it's always a struggle... but... here we are.
> 
> Disclaimer: Not for profit, simply a writing exercise. Herein lies Dean/Sam slash, in an AU timeline where John did not lose his life. John appears in parental context only. Follows in series from previous prompts, but stands alone if preferred.

John starts awake, hearing a low curse from Sam. It was full dark, and he sat up slowly, trying not to startle the boy. His voice is soft when he speaks.

“Sam?”

“Dean asleep?”

His oldest boy is still out cold, head buried in John’s flannel shirt. 

“Yeah, Sammy, what’s up?”

“Whatever’s wrong, it’s getting worse.”

“Damn,” John says softly, and Sam thinks to himself that it might have been another choice word, were John at the wheel. That was NOT a good sensation, on that last turn, and it felt like she was fighting him constantly – he was starting to get tired. “You ok to keep on, Sammy?”

There’s a moment or two of silence, and John’s concentrating half on Sammy, half on the Impala, and he realizes that Sam’s just made the understatement of the year. The problem’s just increasing in severity as they travel on, and that’s just not good.

“I, I’m getting tired, but I’m ok for now?”

“Be better if I’m awake with you?”

“Yeah.” 

The boy’s tone is relieved, and John sure as hell doesn’t blame him. “Sammy, how far out are we?”

“Depends on where we’re going?” Sam’s tone is slightly petulant, and John lets it go – the boy’s tired.

“Tess.”

“Hour an a half,” is the immediate answer. John's not sure quite how Sam does it, but he's accurate to a fault when they're on the road.

“Ok. If your brother here wakes up, you just pull over careful, and slide over, ok?”

“Sounds good.” There’s more confidence in the boy’s tone now. “What… what do you think is wrong?” Still vulnerable, though. The Impala is a sort of security blanket for all of them, their constant.

“I’m not sure, kiddo. I’m thinking something with the alignment, or the suspension. You know if you or Dean hit any rough patches when you’ve driven?”

“No sir, nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Then I don’t know, Sammy. Parts just wear out, sometimes. Tess has a good enough garage, and we’re close to Bobby.”

“You realize we’ll have to sedate Dean if it comes to a towtruck?”

John chuckled. “Yeah. He kind of gets attached to the things he cares about, doesn’t he?” Sam blushes, just like John intended him to. “Thank you for driving for so long. I needed the extra sleep.”

“I… I didn’t mean to wake you, Dad.”

“You needed to.”

“I mean, I would have, in a little bit, but-“

“Sam.”

“I’m sorry for earlier.”

“It’s over and done with. But thank you. And try not to repeat the mistake.”

“Yessir.”

It wasn’t much longer before Dean stirred, flinching. A short word to Sam, and the boy eased the car carefully to the side of the road after a few miles, finding a strip that was paved.

“Boys.” Both of his sons jumped, and John knew he had to get the Impala into a garage where he could do some serious work, because he’d felt the back end shimmy when Sam pulled over. “Sam, buckle yourself in, Dean, I want you in the middle of that seat, and buckled in.” It was given in the tone that let them know there was trouble afoot, that command, and he appreciated that they both obeyed. He watched Dean’s face in the rearview as they took off.

“No way, Dad. Pull over and call Bobby.”

“I can’t, Dean. Someone needs us, we’re a half hour out.”

“Then let me drive her, please, Dad!”

“No, Dean. I’ve got years experience on you with her. We’ll be fine, the Impala will be fine.”

“You let Sam-“

“Sam did exactly what he was told to do, what he needed to do. You think we’d have gotten this far otherwise? We’re nearly there, son. Tell you what,” he said, amused that he was about to give his boy a child’s task. “You pay attention, and let me know what you think might be wrong. We’ll be somewhere we can fix her up.”

Dean digested that, looking unhappy, but kept up a running stream of commentary that had Sam closing his eyes and leaning tiredly on the door. John would have preferred the kid be sitting up, just in case they went off the road, but he didn’t have the heart. He snapped his phone open when they hit the first surface street.

“I need the garage door open before we get there. The car’s in a bad way.”

“Oh, John, I’m so sorry – I’ll be right down, waiting for you – you need me to take any trouble off your hands?”

He chuckled. “I might at that.” And then they were pulling in, and Dean was turning a little pale, and Sam looking a little thoughtful, and John was frankly looking forward to a shower before he had to deal with either of them, or the car. Slid home safe again. Some days it was good to be a Winchester.

**Author's Note:**

> Soundtrack: Patti Griffin - Rain


End file.
